Fort Massac Encampment returns Oct. 17-18 with reenactments and frontier crafts
FOX23 News at 9 p.m.
METROPOLIS, Ill., (KBSI) — Military reenactments, traditional crafts and demonstrations of frontier life will highlight the annual Fort Massac Encampment on Oct. 17-18 at Fort Massac State Park.
The free event runs from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources hosts the festival, which is sponsored by the Greater Metropolis Convention and Visitors Bureau and has been held since 1974.
Hundreds of participants in period clothing will portray soldiers, settlers, traders and explorers from the 1700s and early 1800s.
A “Posting of the Colours” ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. each day. Mock battles and military demonstrations begin at 3 p.m., with military retreat ceremonies concluding each day’s activities.
Visitors can watch blacksmithing, basket making and weaving demonstrations. Children’s activities, music and food vendors will also be available. Food offerings include barbecue, chicken and dumplings, apple crisp and homemade root beer.
Parking is available at the Old Fairgrounds next to the park, with trams transporting visitors to the grounds. The park will be closed to public vehicle traffic during festival hours.
Fort Massac State Park, at 1308 E. Fifth St. along the Ohio River, became Illinois’ first state park in 1908. The site served as a military outpost for French, British and American forces between 1757 and 1814.
For more information, call the park office at 618-524-4712.
